School board looks beyond split leadership votes

Published: Saturday, December 8, 2012 at 04:57 PM.

“The vote’s behind us now,” he said. “I’m a team player and I’m prepared to work with the leadership to do what’s best for children.”

He said he takes Rose at his word that he wants all seven board members heavily involved.

Cole did not directly address the leadership change but said her goal in serving on the board is the same as before. Working toward providing the “best public education possible” for students in
Alamance
County
, she said, is “where I have placed my energy and my passion for the last eight years,” and that will continue to be her focus.

Moffitt said she thinks the issues board members want to discuss will remain the same.

“I think we’re going to be fine,” she said. “Our goal is to work for the children.”

While the board’s leadership, particularly the chairman, runs meetings and guides discussions, Moffitt doesn’t see the change as “being an issue at all” in the board working on goals such as a strategic plan for the system’s long-term future.

Like other board members, Evans said the bottom line is benefiting children and helping Cox and other administrators do the best job possible. As to relations among board members, he mentioned “open lines of communication” as a major issue. He said the board’s previous leadership “has not been a problem” but thinks the new leadership will make that a high priority.

Members of the Alamance-Burlington Board of Education talked about teamwork and openness following split votes Monday night to determine who would be the board’s chair and vice chair.

In separate 4-3 votes, the board elected Tony Rose chairman and Patsy Simpson vice chairwoman. Their votes, along with those of board members Brad Evans and Pamela Thompson, made up the majority that elected them.

Cole was the board’s chairwoman for three years. Evans, who nominated Simpson to replace him in the position, had been chairman for the past year. Van Pelt previously served in the position.

Board members told the Times-News in the days following the vote they are optimistic the board can overcome the division to work well together on behalf of children and public education in AlamanceCounty.

Rose and Simpson emphasized they aren’t interested in focusing on past differences among board members, but said their idea of how the chairman and vice chairwoman should function among other board members hasn’t changed.

Rose said he wants to work with Superintendent Lillie Cox, other school system administrators and the rest of the board.

“We don’t always agree,” he said about board members, “but I am a firm believer in the democratic process, the equal participation of all members, and the representation of all views.” He said the board makes better decisions “when each member has equal information from various sources and equal participation in all board decisions.

“I think we’ve got seven good people who can do it,” he said,

Simpson had similar thoughts.

“I want all seven of us to have an equal opportunity to deliberate, to offer suggestions and ideas,” she said. “The citizens of AlamanceCounty elect every one of us.”

While “I’m excited about Tony’s leadership” and her belief he will advance that goal, Simpson said, she is optimistic the board as a whole will embrace the idea of rigorous discussion followed by board members voting in favor of what they think will most benefit students.

Van Pelt said he is prepared to work with Rose and Simpson.

“The vote’s behind us now,” he said. “I’m a team player and I’m prepared to work with the leadership to do what’s best for children.”

He said he takes Rose at his word that he wants all seven board members heavily involved.

Cole did not directly address the leadership change but said her goal in serving on the board is the same as before. Working toward providing the “best public education possible” for students in AlamanceCounty, she said, is “where I have placed my energy and my passion for the last eight years,” and that will continue to be her focus.

Moffitt said she thinks the issues board members want to discuss will remain the same.

“I think we’re going to be fine,” she said. “Our goal is to work for the children.”

While the board’s leadership, particularly the chairman, runs meetings and guides discussions, Moffitt doesn’t see the change as “being an issue at all” in the board working on goals such as a strategic plan for the system’s long-term future.

Like other board members, Evans said the bottom line is benefiting children and helping Cox and other administrators do the best job possible. As to relations among board members, he mentioned “open lines of communication” as a major issue. He said the board’s previous leadership “has not been a problem” but thinks the new leadership will make that a high priority.

THOMPSON, WHO NOMINATED ROSE for the chairmanship, was elected to her first term on the board in November.

Aside from her, Thompson said, she believes any of the board’s members have the experience to serve effectively as chairman. She expressed admiration and trust for Rose but also for others on the board.

Thompson, as a non-incumbent, said she was surprised to have been the leading vote-winner in the five-candidate race for four seats on the board. That was a factor in her decision to back Rose for chairman, she said.

“I felt like the voters were saying they want something new,” she said.

If she has any say, Thompson said, school board members will attempt to work closely together for the benefit of the students, teachers, parents and others in the community.

“I’m not going to be part of that,” she said in reference to any potential feuding.

With the election of Simpson in 2008 and Rose in 2010, divided votes have been more common on what had at times been described as a rubber-stamp board.

While the state’s school boards are non-partisan, that does not mean party politics does not sometimes spill over into school board elections and governance. The most prominent recent and nearby example is probably WakeCounty, where divisions have tended to be drawn along party lines.

In AlamanceCounty, that is not the case. Two of the four board members who elected Rose and Simpson — Evans and Simpson — are registered Democrats, while the other two — Rose and Thompson — are registered Republicans. Two of the three members of the supporters of Cole and Van Pelt — Cole and Moffitt — are registered as Republicans, with Van Pelt a registered Democrat.

Rose and Simpson say they will continue to vote their convictions while working to be inclusive. Van Pelt said he will do the same.

“If I disagree with board members, I will let them know that I disagree,” he said.

Rose is two years into his first term on the board. He didn’t run with the goal of being chairman in mind, he said, and has no ambition to serve in the role for any set time.

The board could decide to elect another chairman or chairwoman when it reorganizes next year, he noted: “I think it’s something that is good for multiple people to serve in that role on a rotating basis.”